Another of the "Mouseketeers gone mad" crowd to ravage the international pop charts in the 1990s, Justin Timberlake was clearly established on his path to the entertainment industry as a very young child, and yet no one did anything to prevent it while there was still a chance. Raised in Memphis, it is not surprising that his initial musical direction was towards country music, but it was with teeny-bopper pop that the ambitious youngster started to build his career -- set in motion with an appearance on the TV talent competition Star Search and established through his subsequent membership in The New Mickey Mouse Club (alongside fellow future popstars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera). After completing two years in mouse ears, Timberlake was invited by acquaintance Chris Kirkpatrick to become part of a new teen boy-band *NSYNC.

After signing on with BMG, *NSYNC quickly established a sizeable following in Europe; a 1998 self-titled debut album and the singles I Want You Back and Tearing Up My Heart expanded this following back to the States, and by the time of their album No Strings Attached (2000) they had become the new American youth culture sensation. This outcome was perhaps inevitable, as the group's sound took the various pop and R&B styles most commercially viable at the time and presented them in immaculately-produced five-part harmonies -- although having vast promotional resources at its disposal was no doubt an equally important factor in their success. Another chart-topping offering -- smugly titled Celebrity -- arrived in 2001, accompanied by the top 20 crossover singles Gone, Pop, and Girlfriend.

In 2002 activity with *NSYNC was put on indefinite hold, at which time both Timberlake and bandmate J. C. Chasez launched their solo careers. It was Timberlake's release Justified that received the most attention -- predictably, as he was the highest-profile member of the group -- and with this first album the singer managed to insinuate himself into the #2 position of the mainstream charts, launch 3 singles into the top 20 and earn his first two Grammy awards. The release also provided him with the beginnings of a transition from teen idol to something more credible. He subsequently collaborated on singles with Snoop Dogg, Nelly and the Black Eyed Peas, and later launched his own label JayTee Records. During this period the singer also set about establishing a second career as an actor.